I've been trying to put my favorite chili recipe on FitDay to see if there is any way possible to make it, and more importantly be able to eat some of it, while on Atkins.
One trouble is I have never tried to figure out how many servings the recipe makes...........it makes a lot (even before I cut my appetite way down).
Another is that FitDay keeps changing the calculations when I enter them....adding a decimal where it doesn't belong for instance.
I managed to get a custom recipe totaled and it looks like I have the following totals for 1/10 of a serving....(I used 1 serving for the measure of the entire recipe since I have no idea where else to start).
Anyways, one-tenth is probably still more than I would eat but it seems to have a great many more carbs than I have been consuming, probably due to the two large cans of tomatoes, one large can of tomato paste, tomatoe sauce, 8 onions, and 6 red peppers. The rest of the recipe is hot peppers, 8 1/2 lbs. of boned beef, chili powder, cumin, salt etc.
The recipe was an award winner in the Boston Globe chili contest 20 or 30 years ago and has long been a favorite.
The total recipe......a whole batch.....comes out with the following totals: calories - 15269
Fat - 1034
Carbs - 378
Protein - 1120
Fiber - 90
Somebody tell me, can I make this monster and plan on eating any of it or I am just going to be spending a ton of money making something that would be blowing the diet all to heck?

chili is one of my favorites....i made some two weeks ago....i had one small bowl, passed on the crackers, and did just fine. i think as a way of life, we have to be able to enjoy these occasional splurges--but we have to remember to do so in moderation!

If that makes 10 servings, then per serving there are 37.8 total carbs. Subtract 9 g of fiber, and you've got a whopping 28.8 g net carbs. That's a lot. How about keeping that spice combination, and making an all meat (no bean) chili? If you use tomatoes and tomato paste with no added sugar, and cut back on the onions, it'll probably come out with a lower carb count.

You can also go use the icon at the top of the page, and search the Kitchen forums for LC chili recipes.

Re fitday: the decimals are probably changing because you have to *save* the changes (bottom of the page) every time you make one. It's best to add all of your ingredients, *then* change all the amounts and save it all at once.

HTH.

I've been wracking my brain all afternoon...........I think if I substitute onion powder I may save a few carbs and I've been wondering how much I could cut back on the tomatoes without damaging this great recipe.
As for how many portions.......I guessed at 10. It makes about 9-10 quarts so there is quite a bit. And, now with a greatly reduced appetite I could probably stretch more portions in order to lower the carb count.
I'm also wondering what the harm would be to actually eat 30-35 carbs in one day when I have been staying well below 30 all of this time?????
If I make it, eat some, and either gain or do not lose for a week or so..........I know the answer (or at least one answer) FAT FAST here I come again.

Well... for one thing, the fat fast isn't a quick fix for overindulgence. (end of lecture )

For another, if it makes 9-10 QUARTS of chili, I'd think a 1-cup serving would be pretty low. I don't see a lot of carby ingredients, so I'd bet the serving size is your problem! (and it does sound good!)

Man, that must make one huge mess of chili!

If you really like chili, you might try a more traditional Texas-style recipe, which will not include any tomatoes (and certainly no beans!). It will give you the beefy, spicy flavors, but a lot fewer carbs.

I don't find onions or tomatoes to be a problem. In fact I make alot of dishes with them, chili, soup, spagetti (just chunky meat sauce loaded with cheese, no noodles). They are good for you. I do use more now that I'm closer to my goal than I did before. If I make chili I just take some out before I add beans for DH.

Just make sure that the tomatoes & sauce that you get has no sugar and you should be ok.

mmmmmmmmmmm chili!!!!!!!!!!!!

to a new recipe that I just got from an ex-Texan. I'll try to copy it here.
I did the carbs using FitDay and allowing for 1 cup of masa harina (if I can even find it) and no onions. But it might be better to add an onion or two, guar gum or the like, and skip the carbs in masa harina.

Here is the total for tripling the original recipe: I listed it as 1 serving since I have no idea how many portions it will make overall.

Calories Eaten Today
source grams cals %total
Total: 9947
Fat: 452 4068 43%
Sat: 166 1492 16%
Poly: 22 198 2%
Mono: 193 1739 18%
Carbs: 185 557 6%
Fiber: 45 0 0%
Protein: 1236 4946 52%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%
Calorie Breakdown

Fat Carbs
Protein Alcohol



T
Totals 9947 calories
452 Fat
185 Carbs
1236 Protein

THE RECIPE:


First off, you are much better to start with a tougher cut of meat, so
that it can simmer longer. Chuck, or even brisket, does quite well. You
can make it with round, but it doesn't benefit from the lengthy
flavor-mingling. However, it will still be excellent chili.
Here is the Frank X. Tolbert (Dallas Yelow News columnist and fomenter of the VERY FIRST
CHILI COOKOFF IN HISTORY, at Terlingua, Texas, which I had the pleasure of
attending) Bowl of Red basic chili recipe.

9 lbs.beef chuck, boneless
3 TBS. Tabasco sauce
3 TBS. Cayenne pepper
3 TBS Cominos (cumin)
2 TBS Oregano
3 TBS salt
3 TBS. paprika
and
3 (small) can tomato paste
9 cloves garlic, to taste
15 chili pods, jalapeno (jap) chilis are recommended.

Tolbert's recipe involved boiling the (dried) chili pods for about 15
minutes, then removing the skin and seeds and mashing the pulp. I find this irksome, especially if I forget and rub my eyes after doing so, so I shake the seeds out, boil them as instructed, and then put them in the blender with the garlic. The skins really don't matter; they disappear in the process. So, prepare the chilis and then;

Brown the meat over a high heat. When browned, add all the other
ingredients, and water just to barely cover the meat. Simmer over low heat for at least an hour, longer if you have used tougher meat. When the meat is at the ideal consistency, neither tough nor mushy, make a paste of some masa harina (corn flour).It is worth the effort to look for masa harina. Corn bread mix will NOT do! Add the paste to
the chili. This last process gives the chili a sort of faint suggestion of
tamale, and also produces the desired consistency. I would suggest maybe two heaping tablespoons of masa harina for openers; you can add more paste or more water to reach the desired consistency. It is more of an art than a science. After the chile thickens, serve and enjoy.

Options;
1. You can omit the oregano and add a teaspoon of sage instead. Or you can
use both.
2. Onions. I personally add at least one large onion,diced, just because I
like it that way. Chili purists would be horrified, but for me it adds a
nice nuance of taste, and also helps with the texture.
3. Purists would omit the tomato sauce, but, as Tolbert said, it adds body
and color, and you really can't taste it anyway.
4. For variety, you can use green chili pods rather than dried. Or, as you
obviously intend, you can experiment with other types of capsicum.
Remember, however, that you are looking for a blend of flavors, not for
firepower alone. Let me know how it turns out. Better yet, freeze a small
portion, and next time I come up (early March, probelly) I will be happy to
taste it for you.

Try dried ancho chilis for this, too. Less heat, more flavor. My process sounds like yours: pull off the stems, shake out the seeds, simmer in beef broth for 10-15 minutes to rehydrate, then puree the broth and chilis with garlic and/or onion in the blender. Remember, one of the primary rules for true Texas-style chili is no visible vegetables.

lasert:
I forgot to ask... 9 lbs. of beef? Which army are you feeding with these recipes?

my old recipe which calls for 8 lbs. of boneless beef.........and since I had all the beef, and chili freezes really well, I figured I'd just go ahead and make a "mess of it." Haven't seen ancho chilies anywhere....lots of Jalapeno, Habanero and Scotch Bonnet----but I'm not brave enough for either of the last two yet.
Oh, and guy e-mailed me to apologize and say he didn't convert hsi recipe for the peppers and for my 9 lbs. of beef I should be using about 40 peppers. Needless to say I am going to make a big batch of pepper "paste" and stir it in until the heat seems about right. t may take that many Jalapenos and the few Cubanelles I have so far but I don't want to waste $28 worth of ingredients by making a mess of it.